Funny thing – I ask myself this question all the time.

At the end of last year, I was working on managing stress in my life after serious burnout. Of course, it was recommended by many that I journal. I took a shot at it and I’m terrible at committing to something that feels ‘just for me’… even if I know it’s good for me.

Journaling is inward, reflective, with a reader count of one.

I’ve always wanted a corner of the web.

For my fourteenth birthday, my brother bought me my first domain and hosting. That was in 2004.

The domain was myrealname.com. At 14 I was shameless. We put our lives on the internet without reservation. I was the generation that talked to strangers in AOL chatrooms and shamelessly posted my life and emo selfies on MySpace.

But, times change.

All that online activity taught us some hard lessons in privacy and exposing ourselves to the world.

As I entered my 30s, I posted less and less on social platforms. I didn’t want the world or even my friends to know every detail of my life. Plus, it was outright time consuming.

Nonetheless, I wanted some outward facing channel.

Year after year, I would remember the domain my brother purchased me and the site I built. It was all ‘me themed’, and I would chuckle at the idea that the internet would visit a site that screams, “here’s who I am“.

As an adult, I considered it vain and pointless.

This didn’t deter me from wanting to put ideas out there.

Blogging as a form of journaling.

Journaling isn’t for everyone. For some it’s rewarding, for me it felt hollow.

The failed attempt at journaling at the end of 2024 prompted me to revisit the idea of putting myself online. I just needed a way around friends and community seeing my trial and error attempt at growing an audience. The beginning stages feel too vulnerable.

It dawned on me in October of last year that I could start something under a pen name. It actually seems ridiculous that the thought never occurred to me before.

Once, I got down to writing posts, I witnessed my attitude at putting things on paper (well, screen in this case) change.

Journaling didn’t offer the prospect of ‘sharing me’ with like minded people, posting it for you to read does. Blogging also provides benchmarks that journaling doesn’t: tracking metrics, learning social platforms, seeing others read and share.

I know everyone has different reasons to blog. I do too, and they’re all valid. Reason number one is still solely for me.

Why the name?

I’m also the type that loves branding, creating a clear goal and vision.

The concept of werebeingrobbed.com was born to give me an outlet to grapple with challenging aspects of life out loud, anon style.

For me, speaking my piece and sharing my observations about the world with a (potential) audience effectively replaced journaling. I’ve always been an external processor, not making sense of my own thoughts until I’ve said them all out loud. Even now, writing this, I can tell you with certainty blogging fills the journaling gap and I reap the same benefits.

I have more to say than just reflective commentary about myself. Often, it’s more enjoyable to talk about what impacts your life than simply the details of your life in general.

The broader scope.

The vision is to open the project as a platform for everyone’s voice – anon or not.

I had (and still do) hope that it can offer an outlet for other contributors to find the same solace in voicing their life observations and quick takes. A band of witty commentators laying out their societal struggles, personal opinions, and experiences with new cultural norms.

For now, it’s just me. It’s fun. It’s rewarding. And, it’s a new, more sustainable habit than journaling.